My good friend Zach Klein (WSB Sports Anchor) stepped up big time today for the city of Atlanta by allowing L.E.A.D. Jr. Ambassador Savian McIntyre (B.E.S.T. Academy, Atlanta Public Schools) an exclusive tour of WSB TV along with his father Tony Newsome, grandmother, sister, brother and teacher/baseball coach Bakari Moore (B.E.S.T. Academy).

I interviewed Savian after the tour and I am convinced that he learned a lot and will fulfill L.E.A.D.’s mission to empower an at risk generation to lead and transform their city of Atlanta.

C.J. Stewart: Where did you tour today and who gave you the tour?

Savian: Today I toured the WSB TV studio with Mr. Zach Klein.

C.J. Stewart: What was the most impressive part of the tour?

Savian: The most impressive part about the tour was learning about the operation of the sound check and editing videos. I want to become a computer engineer. The tour helped me gain a better understanding of technology.

C.J. Stewart: What surprised you the most about the tour?

Savian: What surprised me most about the tour was the back stage setup of the studio.

C.J. Stewart: What career would you like to pursue in addition to baseball?

Savian: The career that I would like to pursue in addition to baseball is being an engineer designing electronics for the future.

C.J. Stewart: How does the tour help you fulfill L.E.A.D.’s mission of empowering an at risk generation to lead and transform their city of Atlanta?

Savian: The tour gave me a higher level of confidence and I think I can lead the city of Atlanta as the owner of a computer engineering company called Savian Technology World.

C.J. Stewart: How would you describe Zach Klein with one word?

Savian: I best describe Mr. Zack Klein with two words – dedicated and informative.

C.J. Stewart: When you become a millionaire, how much of it would you give to Atlanta Public Schools and what are the top 3 things that you would want the money to be used for?

Savian: When I become a millionaire, I will give Atlanta Public Schools 20 million dollars. The 3 things that we will need are new computers from my company, teacher training, more books and other supplies.

C.J. Stewart: Describe the tour with 1 word?

Savian: I described the tour as amazing because I didn’t realize it took that many people working in the background in order to present the news daily.

You can do anything…what do you want to feel? 
-Luke O’Neill (American Explorers Executive Director)

As a child, all the adults would tell us students that we could be whatever we wanted to be and then they would recommend careers such engineering, law and medicine.

I never connected to those fields.  My heart was never in those fields so I never pursued them despite the feeling that I was letting people down for not becoming one of the “Big 3”.

CJ Stewart at Base Camp

As a child and young adult, my heart rested in playing baseball for the Chicago Cubs and serving others.  In addition to leading my family well, leading youth gets a lot of my heart and soul.

Luke and I had the discussion this week in Montana about people being able to do anything in life and the importance of doing what makes you feel good at the soul level.  Life is too short to neglect happiness.

American Explorers is not a camp.  It is 20 days of leadership development for 20 students from Atlanta in the mountains of Montana.  In July, another 10 students will travel from Atlanta, joining 10 young men and women from right here in Montana.

I asked 5 American Explorers students what they want to feel in life.

I want to feel like I’m changing other peoples lives. 
TJ Pittman (North Atlanta High School)

TJ Pittman

I want to feel like I can accomplish something in my life time. 
-Kami Boone (Henry W. Grady High School)

Kamryn Boone

I want to feel like I’m making a change in the world and positively changing other people lives. 
-Kalveion Heard (Booker T. Washington High School)

Kalveion Heard

I want to feel enjoyment in whatever it is that I am trying to accomplish. 
-Cameron Giles (Benjamin E. Mays High School)

Cameron Giles

I want to feel happiness. Happiness meaning the ability to smile without faking it. To be satisfied with my life and finally let go of my past and live a better future. 
-Re’Nae Dillard (KIPP Atlanta Collegiate)

Re’Nae Dillard

It’s too cold to complain so…

The energy used to complain can also be used by students here to participate in an activity they may not do in Atlanta. It was another cold morning and the girls made me warm by watching them play soccer while the boys were playing a rhythmic “foot game” of sorts. Scary thing is that when some teenagers get bored, they do stupid stuff. You have to be resourceful in the Montana mountains when you don’t have a phone and TV. Everyone is getting along well here. 17 more days to go and we are all becoming more effective leaders. 

Challenge by choice

Challenge by choice begs each person to be intentional with their engagement here at American Explorers. There are many opportunities to learn about yourself and others through conversations and activities. American Explorers Program Director, Zack Terakedis, simply asks that everyone make the choice to be challenged and do it with the right attitude. It also empowers the students to participate at a level that forces them to expand their comfort zones. 

I need you

American Explorers Executive Director, Luke O’Neill, makes this statement a lot. It is a very powerful statement that if you receive it, you become a great teammate. Atlanta Public Schools (APS) needs this statement to permeate throughout the district. American Explorers is developing the leadership skills of several of APS’s young minds here in Montana. Life just doesn’t work if you don’t have intentional and empowering people in your life.

 

Stop doing stuff and be happy

Some people go to school so that they can accomplish a lot in life. It’s cool to have a nice car, house and job and it’s even more amazing to be “happy”. This American Explorers opportunity gives each student the opportunity to understand what makes them happy and the ability to craft their personal mission, vision and goals for life. You learn how to win at the game of life here. 

Significance is a hike and not a sprint

To get from A to B here on the American Explorers ranch is a hike. Even the driveway is a 4 mile hike to the base camp. There is no way that you can be lazy here. Life has ups and downs and rigid roads. You have to stay on them though to reach your destination. It also helps to have a trusty compass because in life and hiking, if you don’t know where you are going, any road will take you there.

Are you in need of anything?

You hear that a lot around here. This American Explorers team of experts and educators consist of intentional individuals that are committed to developing our 20 students from Atlanta. Everybody works together so well. The mission is very clear to serve here. If you don’t enjoy serving others, you will be found out and removed quickly I’m sure. 

Developing workforce

There are 20 students here on the ranch and they are American Explorers and I would hire each of them as full time employees right now if they didn’t haven’t go back to school in August. American Explorers Executive Director Luke O’Neill agrees with me on the future of the students. Luke and I have agreed to fight over who’s going to hire them. It would be a fight worth fighting.

Not a blank stare

Arthur Blank visited with the students today and I had an opportunity to speak with him. What I discovered is that he is a really intentional man when it comes to empowering others. I see it and feel it and I trust my intuition. It is so important for the students here to understand that they are philanthropists now in their own right. They also have the potential to serve millions with millions like Arthur one day as well. This man is way more than the owner of the Atlanta Falcons. He believes in these 20 students that we call American Explorers.

No TV….only learning, reading and writing

I couldn’t watch a Heat/Spurs game if I wanted to because I have yet to see a TV. I have done some good Bible study, reading John Maxwell, learning about wildlife and the lives of others. You are really able to lock in on life here at American Explorers. We all have to take a pause to find out who we are the things that should be important to us. The American Explorers had a great scavenger hunt today on the ranch. They found a lot of stuff on the list and they are also finding themselves here as well. 

You eat and sleep to learn

Eating and sleeping isn’t done as a formality here. Your teammates are counting on you to bring energy everyday. The energy of the 20 American Explorers can literally light up a room. They know why they are here. There is something new to do and learn each day and it is difficult to do when people are tired because they were up all night. It’s also difficult to do if you are on a chips and soda diet. I haven’t seen a soda yet. Drinking tons of water my friend.

It was a little bit scary flying into Montana with the strong draft coming from underneath the plane from the mountains. Thank God for great Delta planes with experienced pilots.

An hour away from Bozeman Airport in Montana is the home of American Explorers thanks to the generosity and intentionality of Arthur Blank.

Twenty students from metro Atlanta schools will be living with and loving nature for 20 days in Montana. Even the dirt road driveway is 4+ miles long surrounded by trees, peaceful creeks and deer.

This is my Day 1 blog and let me share with you the 5 things I have learned today so that I can get some much needed sleep for tomorrow.

Experts are here

Luke O’Neill serves as the executive director of American Explorers and his calling in life is navigating folks through the wilderness and ensuring that they capture lessons for life like perseverance, patience and peace to name a few. Arthur Blank didn’t just select a beginner off the streets to run this 20 day program y’all.

Great individuals make great teams

Success is always until the end of time based on the actions of people. There are some great people on this American Explorers team that are serving 20 of Atlanta’s assets. I was talking with American Explorers Educator Mark Davidson at dinner tonight and he said something that made me take a pause. “We don’t make a lot but we live a lot.”

Intentional with everything

Dinner was amazing but prior to that, the students were asked to establish a culture for eating. The do’s and don’ts. We could have just sat down and eaten the food because everyone was hungry but it was important for everyone to be on the same page on how we will respect this time of fellowship with a meal that will provide the needed nourishment for days and miles of hiking. 

Leaders are allowed to lead

This isn’t a camp. This is a place where leaders will practice leadership for 20 days. They will be stretched like never before. The old saying is true that practice makes permanent. The 20 students here will leave with some permanent habits for sure that they will be able to practice back in Atlanta.

No trash

You can’t find a single piece of trash on the ground. This might be the only place on earth for that to be true. There is a lot of pride and respect on these grounds by the people that walk them. I love it. If you don’t have people intentionally throwing trash on the ground, nobody has to bear the burden of picking it up after a disrespectful person.Thank you Arthur Blank for establishing American Explorers as a catalyst for character change in Atlanta through youth of Atlanta.